Santa Marta: My favorite vacation place !

Santa Marta, on Colombia's Caribbean coast is the oldest Hispanic city of the country, even it doesn't have the architectonical beauty of Cartagena.

Instead it has better natural places with some archaeological spots. It has great beaches, white sand, better climate and outstanding landscapes. The capital of Magdalena State is is probably one of the most visited domestic tourist destinations of the country. Its hotel infrastructure, the colorful white sand beaches and natural parks, between which it stands out the Tayrona Park and the majestic Sierra Nevada, makes of the city a privilege location.

It has a year-round tropical climate. It is hot during the day, but the evening sea breezes are cool and make sunsets and nightlife particularly appealing.
Santa Marta and all its nearby beaches have the warmest tropical sea of the world.

It has been my favorite place to spend family vacations since my childhood. And actually it is for my kids too. We try to plan our vacations at least six months in advance, because like us, many other Colombian also has it as their favorite place.

Hotel developments are far to the south of the City and beyond the north, in a ratio of 40 km.

If you are traveling by car going from the country inside, you'll reach the following areas at the south part of the City :

* Piedra Hincada Area (Puerto Galeon and surroundings): Have some small and artificial beaches.
* Pozos Colorados area: Where you can find the best hotel infrastructure. Irotama Resort and Marina, Zuana Beach Resort, Decameron and Santamar hotel and Convention center. The sea in this area is ideal for sky and nautical sports.

* El Rodadero: The most popular spot is a closeby pintoresque resort town where concentrates the most amount of tourist in high seasons. It has the widest beach and the warmest sea. In high season it's the kind of "spring break" environment. There are hotels of all price ranges and for all kind of budgets.

Within the city itself there is not a good hotel offer. At The Malecon or La Playa Avenue in front of Santa Marta's Bay you can enjoy a great sunset view. The beach in the City is not particularly nice.Cruise ships make this a port of call in addition to the commercial port.

Best beaches to go:

√ Cañaveral-Arrecifes in Parque Tayrona fantastic beaches where you can find "eco-habs", camping-zone.

√ Playa Cristal

√ Neguanje and Bahia Concha also great beaches with picturesque restaurants runed by locals

√ Taganga a fishing village on a beautiful bay surrounded of mountains, soft and deep waters properly for scuba diving.

√ Playa Grande

Another tourist spots:

√ Ciudad Perdida, the "Lost City," the home of the Tayrona Indians was built on the lush slopes of the mountains between the 11th and 14th centuries. Thought to be larger than Machu Pichhu, it was found and rescue from tomb raiders in the 1970's by Colombian archeologists.

√“ Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino", the hacienda where Simon Bolivar died.

Real estate facts

Cartagena and Santa Marta have become the better international spots for real estate.

Real estate development hasn't been as fast as other Caribbean coast cities. Complexion of two important shopping centers in the City gave a new dynamic to real estate market in the city.

The Ocean Mall at the residential neighborhood of Bavaria which includes a 42.000 square meter Carrefour store and the Buenavista shopping center near the “Quinta de San Pedro" are the latest commercial projects that have pushed demand for properties.

Despite of condominiums and hotel expansion, luxury projects are under construction, especially in neighborhoods like Buenavista, next to Manzanares river estuary and the single family homes at El Jardin and Bavaria.

Local developers agree to state that this is the best moment for high end projects developments since it has wakened up the demand for well located houses and wide comfortable apartments.